The narrator
The narrator is also the main character in the book. The character's name is O’Faolain and she was born in a poor Irish family. O’Faolain talks about her other 8 siblings and the troubles they faced from an early age. O’Faolain was ignored by her own parents and as such, she learned from a young age to not depend on anyone for help. This independent attitude paved the way for her to become a feminist in her adult life and also made her high expectations when it came to men in general.
The narrator's mother
An important character in the book is the narrator's mother. She becomes unnamed and is only referred to as "Mom" throughout the story. The mother is described as being a typical woman according to the time when she was born meaning she did not have any type of aspirations and was happy just to please her husband and fulfill his wishes. The mother is also described as being extremely distant and not involved in the lives of her children, an aspect that affected the narrator greatly.
The narrator's father
The father does not appear in the novel at all and is only briefly mentioned by the narrator. The father walked out on his family when the narrator was extremely young and he never returned back. In comparison with the mother, the father is described as being an intelligent man who was deeply affected by the social injustices he saw all around him. Because of this, he decided to become an activist and try to change the world around him through his writings.
Men
The narrator does not mention any men by name and decides instead to characterize them as a group. The way in which men are described is not flattering at all since they are all presented as being misogynistic and seeing women only as tools and servants. Because of this, the narrator had a hard time finding a suitable partner who will treat her in the right way and make her feel respected.
